Tag Archive for: top ten tuesday

My Top Ten Favorite Book to Movie Adaptations

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is a All about the Visuals: Top Ten Favorite Graphic Novels/Comics or Ten Comics on My TBR or Top Ten Favorite Picture Books.

This topic was challenging for me as I don’t read graphic novels, picture books, or comics.  Instead of skipping this week’s post altogether, I decided to go a bit rogue and do my favorite book to movie adaptations.  I don’t know if movies technically count as visuals in the way the prompt intended, but I’m going to pretend they do to suit my purpose.  🙂  Plus, all of these movies are amazing and everyone should watch them anyway! In some instances below, I even prefer the movie to the book and that’s saying something because it’s a rare thing for me to prefer a movie to a book. And I know number 10 is technically a miniseries and not a movie, but it’s just too glorious not to include.

My Top Ten Favorite Book to Movie Adaptations

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1. THE PRINCESS BRIDE by William Goldman

Image Source: princessbrideforever.com


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2. THE BFG by Roald Dahl

Image Credit: movieweb.com/

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3. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY by Roald Dahl

Image Credit: thetimesco.uk

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4. THE HARRY POTTER SERIES by J.K. Rowling

Image Credit: mirror.co.uk

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5. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee

Image Credit: hollywoodreporter.com

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6. THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker

Image Credit: screenshotworld.blogspot.com/

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7. DEAD POETS SOCIETY by N.H. Kleinbaum

Image Credit: creofire.com

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8. LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY by J. R. R. Tolkien

Image Credit: denofgeek.com

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9. HIDDEN FIGURES by Margot Lee Shetterly

Image Credit: cinemablend.com

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10. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen

Image Credit: frockflicks.com

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Question:  What are your favorite book to movie adaptations?

Top 10 Literary Characters I Would Want to Have in my Squad

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is a FREEBIE so I decided to do a top ten list that I think about every time I come across a cool character while I’m reading:  If I were to choose 10 literary characters to be my best friends, who would I choose?

What qualities do I look for in best friends anyway?  I’d say these qualities are probably at the top of my list:  loyalty, intelligence – can be book smart or street smart, someone who has a sense of humor and a sense of adventure, and who is passionate about causes that are important to them, and who can also be a bit on the sassy side and give me a kick in the pants if I need it.   In my mind, the characters I’ve selected embody most – if not all – of those qualities and I’d be thrilled for any of them to be a member of my squad.

Ten Literary Characters I Would Want to Have in my Squad

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1. HERMIONE GRANGER from the Harry Potter series


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2. DELILAH BARD from the Shades of Magic series

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3. ELIZABETH BENNETT from Pride and Prejudice

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4. FARLEY from the Red Queen series

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5. MINNIE JACKSON from The Help

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6. STEPHANIE PLUM from the Stephanie Plum series

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7. ARYA STARK from A Song of Fire and Ice series

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8. REAGAN from Fangirl

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9. BEATRICE from Much Ado About Nothing

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10. JO MARCH from Little Women

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Question:  What literary characters would you want to have on your squad?

Ten Underrated Books Every Book Lover Should Read

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Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Underrated/Hidden Gem Books I’ve Read In The Past Year Or So (up to you if you want it to be those published in the past year or so or just ANY underrated book you’ve read recently).

I think nearly all of the books I read last year have ended up being extremely popular so I decided to tweak this week’s topic a bit to make it a better fit for me.  I chose to spotlight books that even though they probably have a fair number of reviews on Goodreads, they still live in the shadows of their more famous counterparts.  I’ve structured my list, therefore, as a kind of “If you like this book by this author, here’s another lesser known title you should take a look at because it’s just as fabulous.”

Ten Underrated Books Every Book Lover Should Read

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1. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

(If you liked The Great Gatsby, read this.)

Everyone has heard of, and most have read Fitzgerald’s most famous work The Great Gatsby, but Tender is the Night is actually my favorite of his works.  I remember not fully appreciating Gatsby the first time I read it as a sophomore in high school, but then I happened to pick up this book. I loved it so much that I ended up going back to Gatsby and giving it another go, falling in love with it the second time around.


Goodsreads Synopsis:  Set on the French Riviera in the late 1920s, Tender Is the Night is the tragic romance of the young actress Rosemary Hoyt and the stylish American couple Dick and Nicole Diver. A brilliant young psychiatrist at the time of his marriage, Dick is both husband and doctor to Nicole, whose wealth goads him into a lifestyle not his own, and whose growing strength highlights Dick’s harrowing demise. A profound study of the romantic concept of character, Tender Is the Night is lyrical, expansive, and hauntingly evocative.  (Read more…)

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2. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

(If you liked Beloved, read this.)

As powerful of a read as Beloved is, it was reading this book in graduate school that took me from liking Toni Morrison’s writings to absolutely loving them.

Goodreads Synopsis:  Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly. With this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison transfigures the coming-of-age story as audaciously as Saul Bellow or Gabriel García Márquez. As she follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the place of his family’s origins, Morrison introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized black world.  (Read more…)

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3. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

(If you loved The Handmaid’s Tale, read this.)

This read is every bit as enthralling as its more famous counterpart, The Handmaid’s Tale.

Goodreads Synopsis:   In Alias Grace, bestselling author Margaret Atwood has written her most captivating, disturbing, and ultimately satisfying work since The Handmaid’s Tale. She takes us back in time and into the life of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the nineteenth century.

Grace Marks has been convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and Nancy Montgomery, his housekeeper and mistress. Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders.

Dr. Simon Jordan, an up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness, is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories? Is Grace a female fiend? A bloodthirsty femme fatale? Or is she the victim of circumstances?   (Read more…)

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4. Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler

(If you loved Kindred, read this.)

A truly fascinating read. Can’t believe it has less than 10,000 reviews on Goodreads…

Goodreads Synopsis:  Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflex or design. He fears no one until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu is a shapeshifter who can absorb bullets and heal with a kiss and savage anyone who threatens her. She fears no one until she meets Doro. Together they weave a pattern of destiny (from Africa to the New World) unimaginable to mortals.   (Read more…)

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5. The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan

(If you liked A Visit from the Goon Squad, read this.)

I actually enjoyed Egan’s debut novel much more than I liked the more famous A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Goodreads Synopsis: In Jennifer Egan’s highly acclaimed first novel, set in 1978, the political drama and familial tensions of the 1960s form a backdrop for the world of Phoebe O’Connor, age eighteen. Phoebe is obsessed with the memory and death of her sister Faith, a beautiful idealistic hippie who died in Italy in 1970. In order to find out the truth about Faith’s life and death, Phoebe retraces her steps from San Francisco across Europe, a quest which yields both complex and disturbing revelations about family, love, and Faith’s lost generation. This spellbinding novel introduced Egan’s remarkable ability to tie suspense with deeply insightful characters and the nuances of emotion. (Read more…)

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6. Arcadia by Lauren Groff

(If you liked Fates and Furies, read this.)

I couldn’t put Fates and Furies down, and my reading experience was exactly the same with her earlier work, Arcadia.  Just beautiful writing.

Goodreads Synopsis:  In the fields and forests of western New York State in the late 1960s, several dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding what becomes a famous commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this lyrical, rollicking, tragic, and exquisite utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday and after. The story is told from the point of view of Bit, a fascinating character and the first child born in Arcadia.  (Read more…)

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7. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King

(If you like The Shining or honestly any of his dozens of bestsellers, read this.)

I’m not big into Stephen King, mainly because I’m a chicken and don’t enjoy reading horror stories.  This book is pretty fascinating though — a love story Stephen King-style.

Goodreads Synopsis:  Lisey Debusher Landon lost her husband, Scott, two years ago, after a twenty-five-year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Scott was an award-winning, bestselling novelist and a very complicated man. Early in their relationship, before they married, Lisey had to learn from him about books and blood and bools. Later, she understood that there was a place Scott went- a place that both terrified and healed him, that could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it’s Lisey’s turn to go to Boo’ya Moon. What begins as a widow’s effort to sort through the papers of her celebrated husband becomes a nearly fatal journey into the darkness he inhabited. Perhaps King’s most personal and powerful novel, Lisey’s Story is about the wellsprings of creativity, the temptations of madness, and the secret language of love.  (Read more…)

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8. The Inheritors by William Golding

(If you liked Lord of the Flies, read this.)

If not for graduate school, I probably never would have read this book, but OMG, what a shocking and unexpected ride it is.

Goodsreads Synopsis:  When the spring came the people – what was left of them – moved back by the old paths from the sea. But this year strange things were happening, terrifying things that had never happened before. Inexplicable sounds and smells; new, unimaginable creatures half glimpsed through the leaves. What the people didn’t, and perhaps never would, know, was that the day of their people was already over.

From the author of Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors is a startling recreation of the lost world of the Neanderthals, and a frightening vision of the beginning of a new age.  (Read more…)

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9. Home Front by Kristin Hannah

(If you loved The Nightingale, read this.)

I devoured The Nightingale in about a day and now I’m finding that all of Kristin Hannah’s books are equally compelling.  Go try any of them – well, all of them really!

Goodreads Synopsis:  Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life–children, careers, bills, chores–even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a soldier she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own–for everything that matters to his family.

At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.  (Read more…)

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10. Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou

(If you loved I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, read this.)

I think everyone should read everything Maya Angelou has ever written.  She just had a way with words that I don’t think anyone else comes close to.

Goodreads Synopsis:  The story of Maya Angelou’s extraordinary life has been chronicled in her multiple bestselling autobiographies. But now, at last, the legendary author shares the deepest personal story of her life: her relationship with her mother.

For the first time, Angelou reveals the triumphs and struggles of being the daughter of Vivian Baxter, an indomitable spirit whose petite size belied her larger-than-life presence—a presence absent during much of Angelou’s early life. When her marriage began to crumble, Vivian famously sent three-year-old Maya and her older brother away from their California home to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. The subsequent feelings of abandonment stayed with Angelou for years, but their reunion, a decade later, began a story that has never before been told. In Mom & Me & Mom, Angelou dramatizes her years reconciling with the mother she preferred to simply call “Lady,” revealing the profound moments that shifted the balance of love and respect between them.

Delving into one of her life’s most rich, rewarding, and fraught relationships, Mom & Me & Mom explores the healing and love that evolved between the two women over the course of their lives, the love that fostered Maya Angelou’s rise from immeasurable depths to reach impossible heights.  (Read more…)

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Question:  What do you consider to be some of the most underrated books out there?  Have you read any of these?

Top Ten 2016 Releases I Totally Meant to Read But Didn’t

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten 2016 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn’t Get To (But TOTALLY plan to).  I’m almost embarrassed to say how easy it was for me to pull together this list.  The list of 2016 books I meant to read far exceeds the number of 2016 releases I actually read.  I also own all of these as e-books so I think It’s all good though because as an added motivation to get these titles read this year, I’ve signed up for NovelKnight’s Beat the Backlist reading challenge and most of these titles are on my reading list.  Wish me luck!

Top Ten 2016 Releases I Totally Meant to Read But Didn’t Get To

(But Still Totally Plan to!)

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1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

(Read the Goodreads synopsis..)

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2. And I Darken by Kiersten White

(Read the Goodreads Synopsis…)

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3. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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4. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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5. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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6. The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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7. When We Collided by Emery Lord

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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8. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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9. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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10. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

(Read the Goodreads synopsis…)

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Question:  What 2016 releases did you fully intend to read last year but never quite made it happen?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Debuts I’m Excited to Read in 2017

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten 2017 Debuts I’m Excited For.  It’s so hard to choose just ten because it looks like 2017 is shaping up to be just as fabulous as 2016 was when it comes to debut novels.  After much agonizing, here are the ten I’m most excited about (as of today anyway!)

Top Ten Debuts I’m Excited to Read in 2017

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1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

(expected publication:  February 28, 2017)

Goodsreads Synopsis:  Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice. Movie rights have been sold to Fox, with Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) to star. (Read more…)

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2. Caraval by Stephanie Garber

(expected publication:  January 31, 2017)

caraval stephanie garber

Goodreads Synopsis: Whatever you’ve heard about Caraval, it doesn’t compare to the reality. It’s more than just a game or a performance. It’s the closest you’ll ever find to magic in this world…

Welcome, welcome to Caraval—Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.  (Read more…)

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3. Gilded Cage by Vic James 

(expected publication:  February 14, 2017)

gilded cage

Goodreads Synopsis:   Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?   (Read more…)

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4. City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson

(expected publication:  January 24, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets Gone Girl in this enthralling YA murder mystery set in Kenya.

In the shadows of Sangui City, there lives a girl who doesn’t exist. After fleeing the Congo as refugees, Tina and her mother arrived in Kenya looking for the chance to build a new life and home. Her mother quickly found work as a maid for a prominent family, headed by Roland Greyhill, one of the city’s most respected business leaders. But Tina soon learns that the Greyhill fortune was made from a life of corruption and crime. So when her mother is found shot to death in Mr. Greyhill’s personal study, she knows exactly who’s behind it.

With revenge always on her mind, Tina spends the next four years surviving on the streets alone, working as a master thief for the Goondas, Sangui City’s local gang. It’s a job for the Goondas that finally brings Tina back to the Greyhill estate, giving her the chance for vengeance she’s been waiting for. But as soon as she steps inside the lavish home, she’s overtaken by the pain of old wounds and the pull of past friendships, setting into motion a dangerous cascade of events that could, at any moment, cost Tina her life. But finally uncovering the incredible truth about who killed her mother—and why—keeps her holding on in this fast-paced nail-biting thriller.  (Read more…)

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5. A List of Cages by Robin Roe

(expected publication of 3rd book:  January 10, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis: When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian–the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kind hearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives. (Read more…)

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6. Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

(expected publication: May 1, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  Anise Sawyer plans to spend every minute of summer with her friends: surfing, chowing down on fish tacos drizzled with wasabi balsamic vinegar, and throwing bonfires that blaze until dawn. But when a serious car wreck leaves her aunt, a single mother of three, with two broken legs, it forces Anise to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz, the waves, her friends, and even a kindling romance, and fly with her dad to Nebraska for the entire summer. Living in Nebraska isn’t easy. Anise spends her days caring for her three younger cousins in the childhood home of her runaway mom, a wild figure who’s been flickering in and out of her life since birth, appearing for weeks at a time and then disappearing again for months, or even years, without a word.

Complicating matters is Lincoln, a one-armed, charismatic skater who pushes Anise to trade her surfboard for a skateboard. As Anise draws closer to Lincoln and takes on the full burden and joy of her cousins, she loses touch with her friends back home – leading her to one terrifying question: will she turn out just like her mom and spend her life leaving behind the ones she loves  (Read more…)

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7. Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

(expected publication: March 28, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever. (Read more…)

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8. After the Fall by Kate Hart

(expected publication:  January 24, 2017)

Goodsreads Synopsis:  A YA debut about a teen girl who wrestles with rumors, reputation, and her relationships with two brothers.

Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens. He doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a girl, except when he decides she needs rescuing. But Raychel doesn’t want to be his girl anyway. She just needs his support as she deals with the classmate who assaulted her, the constant threat of her family’s eviction, and the dream of college slipping quickly out of reach. Matt tries to help, but he doesn’t really get it… and he’d never understand why she’s fallen into a secret relationship with his brother. The friendships are a precarious balance, and when tragedy strikes, everything falls apart. Raychel has to decide which pieces she can pick up – and which ones are worth putting back together.  (Read more…)

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9. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

(expected publication: February 28, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale. (Read more…)

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10. Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza

(expected publication:  February 7, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Empress:  Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive:  Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he’s forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman:  With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.  (Read more…)

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Question:  What debuts are you most looking forward to reading in 2017?  Did any of my anticipated titles make your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top 10 Reads of 2016

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Best Books Of 2016 (you choose — best books overall of what you read regardless of pub date, of a particular genre, 2016 debuts, 2016 releases, etc).

I had a great year reading-wise in 2016 and found it very hard to choose just ten favorites.  Most of these are 2016 releases, but I did sneak one 2015 and one 2017 release onto the list just because I loved them so much.  These are basically the 10 reads that moved me the most in 2016.  Some made me laugh, while others made me cry.  The common denominator between them all – they were all so beautifully written.  Here’s hoping that 2017 is an equally great year for reading!

My Top 10 Reads of 2016

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1. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

  Read My Review…

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2. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

behold dreamers

 Read My Review…

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3. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

 

Read My Review…

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4. Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

girl in pieces

 Read My Review…

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5. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

 Read My Review…

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6. The Girls by Emma Cline

 Read My Review…

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7. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

 Read My Review…

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8. Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

 Read My Review…

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9. The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown

Read My Review…

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10. The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

 Read My Review…

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Question:  What were your favorite reads of 2016?  Did any of these titles make your list?

Top 10 Books I’d Love Santa to Leave Under My Tree

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree (or non-book bookworm items).  Yay for an easy topic this week!  The hardest part for me was only picking 10 books since I currently have so many on my To-Be-Read list that I haven’t purchased yet. Are any of these titles on your Christmas wishlist?

Top Ten Books I’d Love Santa to Leave Under My Tree

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1. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick 

scrappy little nobody

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2. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

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3. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

 

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4. The Mothers by Brit Bennett

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5. The Blazing Star by Imani Josey

 

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6. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

bright edge eowyn ivey

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7. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

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8. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

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9. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

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10. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

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Question:  What books are you hoping Santa brings you this year?

Top Ten Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading in Early 2017

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I’m Looking Forward To For The First Half Of 2017.  For me, this list includes not only 10 upcoming 2017 releases, but also a couple of books where I’m playing catch up on series in anticipation of their latest installments coming out this year.  I’m sure this list will grow, but as of right now, these are my most anticipated reads for 2017.

Top Ten Books I’m Looking Forward To Reading in Early 2017

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1. Gilded Cage by Vic James 

(expected publication:  February 14, 2017)

gilded cage

Goodreads Synopsis:   Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?   (Read more…)

 

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2. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

(expected publication:  May 16, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?  (Read more…)

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3. A Gathering of Shadows & A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

(expected publication of 3rd book:  February 21, 2017)

One of my primary goals for early 2017 is to get caught up on this series before the third book comes out in February.

Goodreads Synopsis: The battle between four magical Londons comes to a head in this stunning finale to the New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy by rising star V. E. Schwab

London’s fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire—and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes and foes struggle alike. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees Schwab reach a thrilling culmination concerning the fate of beloved protagonists—and old enemies.  (Read more…)

 

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4. Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaram

(expected publication:  January 10, 2017)

lucky boy

Goodreads Synopsis:  Solimar Castro Valdez is eighteen and dazed with optimism when she embarks on a perilous journey across the US/Mexican border. Weeks later she arrives on her cousin’s doorstep in Berkeley, CA, dazed by first love found then lost, and pregnant. This was not the plan. But amid the uncertainty of new motherhood and her American identity, Soli learns that when you have just one precious possession, you guard it with your life. For Soli, motherhood becomes her dwelling and the boy at her breast her hearth.

Kavya Reddy has always followed her heart, much to her parents’ chagrin. A mostly contented chef at a UC Berkeley sorority house, the unexpected desire to have a child descends like a cyclone in Kavya’s mid-thirties. When she can’t get pregnant, this desire will test her marriage, it will test her sanity, and it will set Kavya and her husband, Rishi, on a collision course with Soli, when she is detained and her infant son comes under Kavya’s care. As Kavya learns to be a mother–the singing, story-telling, inventor-of-the-universe kind of mother she fantasized about being–she builds her love on a fault line, her heart wrapped around someone else’s child.

Lucky Boy is an emotional journey that will leave you certain of the redemptive beauty of this world. There are no bad guys in this story, no obvious hero. From rural Oaxaca to Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto to the dreamscapes of Silicon valley, author Shanthi Sekaran has taken real life and applied it to fiction; the results are moving and revelatory.  (Read more…)

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5. A Court of Mist and Fury & A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

(expected publication of 3rd book: May 2, 2017)

 

Goodreads Synopsis: Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all. (Read more…)

 

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6. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

(expected publication:  February 28, 2017)

Goodsreads Synopsis:  Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice. Movie rights have been sold to Fox, with Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) to star. (Read more…)

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7. Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

(expected publication: January 3, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  Full of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman, during which a small town’s darkest secrets come to the forefront…and she inches closer and closer to her death.

High school senior Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing many parts: the good student, the good daughter, the good citizen. When she’s found brutally stabbed to death on the opening night of her high school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of her small town community. Local sheriff Del Goodman, a family friend of the Hoffmans, vows to find her killer, but trying to solve her murder yields more questions than answers. It seems that Hattie’s acting talents ran far beyond the stage. Told from three points of view—Del, Hattie, and the new English teacher whose marriage is crumbling—Everything You Want Me to Be weaves the story of Hattie’s last school year and the events that drew her ever closer to her death.

Evocative and razor-sharp, Everything You Want Me to Be challenges you to test the lines between innocence and culpability, identity and deception. Does love lead to self-discovery—or destruction?  (Read more…)

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8. The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson

(expected publication:  January 10, 2017)

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I recently received an e-ARC from Netgalley and this one also piqued my interest because of the praise from Anthony Doerr.

Goodreads Synopsis:  A captivating debut novel for readers of Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You and Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep, The Most Dangerous Place on Earth unleashes an unforgettable cast of characters into a realm known for its cruelty and peril: the American high school.

In an idyllic community of wealthy California families, new teacher Molly Nicoll becomes intrigued by the hidden lives of her privileged students. Unknown to Molly, a middle school tragedy in which they were all complicit continues to reverberate for her kids: Nick, the brilliant scam artist; Emma, the gifted dancer and party girl; Dave, the B student who strives to meet his parents expectations; Calista, the hippie outcast who hides her intelligence for reasons of her own. Theirs is a world in which every action may become public postable, shareable, indelible. With the rare talent that transforms teenage dramas into compelling and urgent fiction, Lindsey Lee Johnson makes vivid a modern adolescence lived in the gleam of the virtual, but rich with the sorrow, passion, and beauty of life in any time, and at any age.  (Read more…)

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9. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

(expected publication:  January 17, 2017)

Goodreads Synopsis:  Fans of Star Wars and Divergent will revel in internationally bestselling author Veronica Roth’s stunning new science-fiction fantasy series.

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another. (Read more…)

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10. The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney

girl before

Goodreads Synopsis:  In the tradition of The Girl on the Train, The Silent Wife, and Gone Girl comes an enthralling psychological thriller that spins one woman’s seemingly good fortune, and another woman’s mysterious fate, through a kaleidoscope of duplicity, death, and deception.

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

Emma
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.

Jane
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.  (Read more…)

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Question:  What books are you most looking forward to reading in 2017?  Playing catch up on any series like I am?

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Authors New to Me in 2016

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016.  This is a fun topic for me because one of my goals with starting my blog this year was to branch out and read a lot of new authors this year.  These ten authors were some that I found to be the most entertaining, but this list is just the tip of the iceberg for me.  I also read so many phenomenal debut authors as well, but I’ll share those in another post sometime.

Ten Authors I Read for the First Time in 2016

 

1. Emma Donoghue

25989448  the-wonder

I had never read Emma Donoghue prior to 2016, but I enjoyed her writing so much that I not only read both Room (Click to read my Review) and The Wonder (Click to read my Review), but I also just recently purchased a copy of Frog Music.

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2. V. E. Schwab

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I don’t know how V.E. Schwab was not on my radar prior to 2016, but thanks to winning a copy of A Darker Shade of Magic (Read my review here), I’m now a huge fan of hers.  I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in this series because I just adored Lila and Kell, and then I also have This Savage Song on my TBR for 2017.

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3. Colm Tóibín

brooklyn

Colm Tóibín is another author who I read for the first time this year.  I read his novel Brooklyn and just thought it was such a lovely coming of age story.  I don’t have a proper review for the book up on my blog because I actually read it before I started blogging, but you can read the Goodreads synopsis here.

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4.  John Connolly

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Another new author to me in 2016 was John Connolly. I read one of his Charlie Parker novels, A Time of Torment, and reviewed it for my blog (Read the review here) . I enjoyed reading it enough that I’ve since added The Book Of Lost Things to my TBR for 2017.

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5. Colson Whitehead

underground railroad colson whitehead

I’m actually reading Colson Whitehead for the first time right now.  I had purchased a few of his earlier works at a book fair this summer, but decided to dive into his latest work instead since it has become such a big hit.  It’s a great read so far.  Read the Goodreads Synopsis.

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6. Sarah J. Maas

acotar

I’m probably the last person on the planet to get around to reading Sarah J. Maas, but I finally bit the bullet and dove into the ACOTAR series. LOVED it!  You can read my review for that here.  I enjoyed this book so much that I’ve gotten the second book in the series and plan to read that as soon as possible. A couple of the Throne of Glass books are also in my TBR so 2017 promises to be the Year of Maas for me.

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7. Curtis Sittenfeld

eligible

I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, so what drew me to Curtis Sittenfeld for the first time was her novel Eligible, which is a modern retelling of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  This was such an entertaining read for me (My Review) that I’ve since gone out and purchased Sisterland and really look forward to reading it soon.

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8. Rainbow Rowell

fangirl-cover

I had my first experience with Rainbow Rowell this year as well, and boy was it amazing?!  I read Eleanor and Park prior to starting my blog and fell in love with that book, but by far, one of my favorite reads of 2016 has to be Fangirl.  As you’ll see from my review, I just loved everything about it. I have Landline in my TBR pile now so there’s definitely more Rowell in my future.

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9. Pierce Brown

red-rising

2016 was my first exposure to Pierce Brown as well.  I finally read the first book in the Red Rising series and thought it was amazing. (Read my review here).  I recently snagged the second book in the series for a great price at a local book fair, so I’m looking forward to continuing the series soon.

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10. Haruki Murakami

haruki

I read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle prior to starting my blog, so I don’t have a proper review up for it. Murakami was a challenging read for me, and at times, I didn’t particularly care for the writing but at other times, I very much enjoyed it.  The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle wasn’t really for me, but I still purchased a copy of IQ84 because I’d like to continue to explore this author’s whimsical writing style.

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Question:  Were any of these authors new for you in 2016?  If not, who did you read for the first time this year?

Top Ten Gifts Guaranteed to Please the Book Lover in Your Life

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Holiday Gift Guide freebie (ten books to buy the YA lover in your life, 10 books to buy for your dad, etc.)

Since I’ve been busy with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shopping and gift ideas are really on my mind right now so this week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is very timely.  I couldn’t decide on a list of books to suggest so instead I decided to go with bookish-themed gift ideas for all book lovers.  (And just a little hint for you shoppers out there –  Society6.com and etsy.com are gold mines for book-themed gifts, so even if you don’t like my suggested gift items, be sure to check them out!)

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Top Ten Gifts Guaranteed to Please the Book Lover in Your Life

 

1. Bookmarks!

Bookmarks are a guaranteed popular gift item for book lovers.  Not only do we use them in the books we’re reading, but many of us also collect them, especially if they’re unique.  Below are a couple that I saw online and really liked.  I’m especially fond of that Queen of Hearts one. So cool!

Click to Buy. Sold by LuckyBookmark on etsy.com

Click to Buy. Sold by LuckyBookmark on etsy.com

 

Click to Buy. Sold by IngrainedInc at etsy.com

Click to Buy. Sold by IngrainedInc at etsy.com

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2. Bookish Themed Mugs!

It’s almost a sure fire bet that the book lover in your life is also a lover of warm beverages – be it coffee, tea, cocoa, whatever, especially if it’s in a cute bookish-themed mug.  Here are a couple of cool ones I found on Society6 and Etsy.

Click to Buy. Sold by Risa Rodil at Society6.com

Click to Buy. Sold by Risa Rodil at Society6.com

 

Click to Buy. Sold by LennyMud on etsy.com

Click to Buy. Sold by LennyMud on etsy.com

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3. Cute Tote Bags for Hauling Around Our Books!

Most of us take books with us everywhere we go, so a cute tote bag is always appreciated.  This is just one of several that I saw and wouldn’t mind having.

Click to Buy. Sold by sevenonesixdesigns on etsy.com

Click to Buy. Sold by sevenonesixdesigns on etsy.com

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4. Bookish T-Shirts!

Yes to all the ways we can pledge our loves for books and reading, especially if they come in the form of stylish tees.  With just a quick glance around etsy, society6, and several other shops, I saw at least a dozen book-themed shirts that I would totally wear. This one was probably my favorite though.

Click to Buy. Sold by ChrisetteDesigns on etsy.com

Click to Buy. Sold by ChrisetteDesigns on etsy.com

 

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5. Bookish Jewelry!

There are endless options out there when it comes to jewelry for booklovers. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, even keychains.  Below are a couple of my favorites.

 

 

Click to Buy. Sold by TheMonkeyCharmer on etsy.com.

Click to Buy. Sold by TheMonkeyCharmer on etsy.com.

Click to Buy. Sold by ArtfulSunshine on etsy.com.

Click to Buy. Sold by ArtfulSunshine on etsy.com.

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6. Pretty Books!

If money is no object in your gift buying, books with beautifully designed covers are sure to please. Check out this gorgeous Jane Austen Boxed Set.

Click to Buy. Sold by Barnes & Noble.

Click to Buy. Sold by Barnes & Noble.

 

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7. Bookish Candles!

Wonderful smelling candles inspired by our favorite books and characters?  Yes, please!  This one is inspired by Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I liked it because it’s purple (my favorite color), but there are many other varieties out there.

Click to Buy. Sold by BookandNook on etsy.com.

Click to Buy. Sold by BookandNook on etsy.com.

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8. Bookish Pillows!

 

We bookworms love to curl up with a good book and read for hours, so anything that furthers our comfort so that we can read longer is always a winner. You can find pilows and even blankets that are book-themed.  I loved the simplicity of this one.

 

Click to Buy. Sold by MudpiesandDaisies on etsy.com

Click to Buy. Sold by MudpiesandDaisies on etsy.com

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9. Bookish Themed Covers for our Gadgets!

Yes, we bookworms love our books but we love our technology too, especially when we can put our own bookish spin on it.  For example, check out this absolutely gorgeous smartphone case designed and sold by Evie Seo at Society6.com.

Click to Buy. Sold by Evie Seo at Society6.com

Click to Buy. Sold by Evie Seo at Society6.com

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10. Gift Cards to Bookstores! 

 

A gift card to a bookstore is guess what?  A reason for a book lover to visit the bookstore!  Not that we need another reason, but hell, we’ll take it!  Amazon is great since you can get more bang for your buck there when it comes to books, but a lot of us love to support our Indie Bookstores too so keep those in mind as well.

Click to see Amazon Gift Card Options.

Click to see Amazon Gift Card Options.

 

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Question:  Do any of my gift ideas for book lovers appeal to you?  What would you add to my list?  I know my list is filled with items that women would probably enjoy more than men, so do you have any more “manly” suggestions?